Metal framing-joint (welded).



H. E. WHITE.

METAL FRAMING JOINT (WELDED).

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. 1914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. E. WHlTE. METAL FRAMING JOINT (WELDED). APPLICATION FILED AUG26, I914. 37,165,048. Patented Dec, 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. WHITE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL FIRE- PROOFING COMPANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METAL FRAMING-JOINT TWELDE'D).

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that'I, HERBERT E. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Framing-Joints (Welded), of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to a novel and prac-' tical metal framing joint designed to permanently and rigidly unite the frame mem 1 bers of metal structures such as steel sashes,

employed in fireproof building construction.

The important characteristics 'of a metallic structure, such as contemplated by the present invention, arestrength, rigidity, and accuracy of fit of the several frame parts, to

provide a construction capable of not onlyv properly supporting the window lights, but also possessing the stability and safety required for fireproofing purposes.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel and substantial framing joint for sashesor like structures having great strength and rigidity, besides being easily andeconomically manufactured without sacrificing any of its advantages, and at the same time preserving a. high standard of neatness. That is to say, the invention includes a novel construction of interlocking frame members whose meeting portions may be weldedtogether in such a manner that the bonding -metal caused to flow by the welding operation fills into specially provided pockets which contribute materially to the rigid locking together of the frame members.

WVith the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention i illustrated in the accompa dr wings, in which Fi is perspective view showing the members prior to their being assembled into final position. Fig. 2 is a cross section through the main frame member joint, before welding. Fig. 1S sec- .bers.

Specification of Letters went. P t t c, 21 5 Application filed August 26, 1914. Serial No. 858,732.

tive view of the complete joint.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. M,

For the purpose of illustration, the invention is shown in the drawings as applied to a plurality offrame members of a design adapted to be used in steel sashes, but it Wlll of course be understood that the invention may be applied with equal facility to frame members or bars adapte'd to other uses.

Referring to the details of construction shown in the several figures of the drawings, it will be observed from Fig. 1 that the improved framing-joint primarily includes a main frame member 1 and the oppositely disposed connecting frame members 2 and 3 respectively. In the form illustrated, each of these frame members comprises a symmetrical bar 4 having along one. edge portion the oppositely disposed flanges 5 and 6 and the longitudinal edge-rib 7 thus being substantially T-shaped in cross section. In other words, the frame bars are rabbeted to provide the usual seats for the window lights. The bar 4 of the main frame member 1 is provided with an oblong welding hole 8 whose side walls 9 are concaved, so that the hole is substantially of oval design with flattened end portions. The'fianges 5 and 6 of this frame member are also preferably provided with'substantially V-shaped cut-away portions 10 directly beyond one end of the welding hole 8, thus forming a mortising notch for receiving an end portion of the connecting frame mem- The said connecting frame members are of duplicate construction. That is, they are of the same cross-sectional design, and each of the same is provided at its end with welding tenon 11 which projects from the structural lines of the end of the bar, and is round or conveXcd to provide a crowned buttpe 12, while the flanges 5 and 6 I at tieir ends as at 13 to con iately to the shape of -e flanges of the main frame form ap notch 10 member 1. In the I latter connection, a special feature is the preliminary fit of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be observed therefrom that,

preliminarily, the beveling of the elements 10 and 13 is at slightly difl erent angles so that the opposing inclined facesof said elements do not contact over their entire 'surfaces at once, but meet at their outside edges as indicated at w in said figure, thus 'con tacting only over a limited area at first until.

fusion begins, whereupon they may be pressed together and a secure weld efl'ected between the three parts.

From the foregoing description of the structural details of the frame member, .it will be apparent, especially by reference to Fig. 1, that the opposite connecting frame members 2 and 3 are "arranged-with their tenons 11 in alinementjwitheach other and with the weldipg opening 8, so that they maybe moved: into said opening from opposite"s idefs of" the bar '4: of the main frame member -i1ntil their crowned portions 12 abuttherein, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The meeting-of the crowned portions 12 of the welding tenons in the opening 8 provides metal receiving pockets 14 and 15 respectively above and below the point of contact between the two tenons, and at-the same time, because of theconcavity of the side walls 9 of the welding opening 8 and the symmetrical sides of the bars 4 of the connecting frame members, other metal receiving pockets 16 and 17 are provided on opposite sides of the meeting welding tenons 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The opening 8 should preferablybe so formed at its ends that the welding tenons 11 are just a free fit through it; thus the opening will act as a guide to maintain the abutting tenons in alinement during the welding operation. Furthermore, this construction which permits the crowned por tions 12 to meet provides abutting contact points of limited area so that a welding temperature may be easily and quickly reached. When the crowned portions 12 of the tenons. 11 are inserted in the welding opening'S, and before the welding operation is started, the corner edges 4? of the connect ing frame member are out of contact with the sides 4: of the bar of the main frame member, and beyond the'upper end of the opening 8 a similar space is provided between the beveled ends 13 of the flange portions of the connecting frame members and the notch 10.

With the frame parts in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the joint is subjected to'the action of a welding machine, preferably of the electrical type,

and as the joint heats to welding tempera- Y ture, pressure. is applied in the usual manner to the connecting frame members 2 and thecontact of the .tenons. the pockets '16 and 17 at thesides of the 3. The welding heat causes the tenons 11 to soften, and under increased temperature and pressure, the metal therein begins to fiow' and fills into the pockets 14 and 15 respectively'above and below the initial point of It also fills into abutting tenons. Thebars of the opposite connecting frame members are thus united with each other, and during thisji'operation the edges 4: of the connecting frame members are caused to make a union with the sides 4* of-the'bar of the main frame mem-' her," and the beveled en ds ,l3 of the flange portions of'the connecting frame members are likewise fusedinto a'closed fit within the notch 10. The welding operation may be sto lpped when the welding tenons have been su ciently melted to permit the connecting fram'emembers to come into their final position with respect to the sides of the main frame member, or it may be continueduntil theedges 4 and 61 of the bars of the connecting and main frame members respectively, and also the beveled edges 13 0f the flange portion of the connecting. frame mem bers are fully welded to the body of the main frame member. In either case, the lines of the joint'are carefully preserved, thereby insuring an accurate and true assembling andbonding together of the frame members, and preserving their neat appearance.

In connection with the welding of the tenons 11, it will be noted that the projecting or crowned portions 12 are initially brought together so that they contact for a comparatively small area at the start of the weld, thus insuring the proper electrical contact between the connectingframe members and greatly facilitating the welding action. .Although one of the important features of the invention is making the ends of the tenons 11 ,convexed', it may be emphasized; that the provision of the metalreceiving pockets in the immediate welding zone is of much practical importance, inasmuch as thesame provide for accommodating the fiow of the plastic metal which would otherwise be crowded out through the fissures of the joint and form rough proproved joint resides in the fact thatalthough the two members having the welding sarily welded to it, through the contraction of the metal upon cooling after welding. This contraction will cause the two connect ing members, which have welded together, to grip the main member very tightly.

From the foregoing it is believed that the many features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent without further description, and that minor details of construction-and design may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the construction specified in the appended claims. A

I claim:

1. A welded metal framing joint, including a main frame member having therein a laterally enlarged welding hole, and opp0- site connecting frame members having welding tenons of less thickness than the width of saidliolc and out of contact with the sides thereof, said tenons being provided with end abutting contact points of limited area.

oi welded metal framing joint including a main frame member having a bar provided with an oblong laterally enlarged welding opening whose side walls are concaved to produce lateral enlargements of the opening, connecting frame members provided with welding tenons having abutting contact points of limited area and adapted to be welded within the opening ofthe main frame member.

A welded metal framing joint, including a main frame member having therein an oblong laterally enlarged welding opening, and connecting frame members having welding tenons of less thickness than the width of said opening and provided with convexed end portions having abutting contact points of limited area with a clearance from each other above and belowsaid points.

l A welded metal framing j oint,. including a flanged main frame member having a welding hole in its web and notches in its flanges, and opposite connecting frame members provided with welding tenons of less thickness than the width of said hole and having end contact points of limited area, said connecting frame members being also provided with flanges having limited points of contact with the walls ofthe notches and elsewhere spaced from said Walls.

5. A metal framing joint including a main frame member having a bar 'provided with an oblong welding openingwhose side walls are concaved, and opposite connecting frame members having welding tenons provided with 'convexed end portions adapted toabut within the opening of the main frame member.

6. A metal framing joint including a main frame member formed with an oblong Welding hole having concaved sides, and connect ing framemembers having a bar of symmetrical cross section provided with welding tenons having convexed end portions, said welding tenons adapted to be inserted in the welding hole from opposite sides of the .main frame member so that the crowns of their convexed portions meet to provide metal receiving pockets above and below their point of contact, and also providing pockets at the sides of the welding tenons.

7. A welded metal framing joint including a mainframe member provided in opposite sides thereof with mortising notches, and connecting frame members having end portions projecting into said mortising notches, said end portions preliminarily contacting with a limited portion only of the main frame member at the notches to facilitater the welding operation.

8. A welded metal framing joint including a main frame member provided in opposite sides thereof with V-shaped mortising notches, and connecting frame members having V-shaped end portions projecting into said notches, said V-shaped end portions preliminarily contacting with a limited portion only of the main frame member at the notches to facilitate the welding operation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

} HERBERT E. WHITE.

lVitnesses HOMER MORRISON, O. D. KAISER. 

